A number of cases are commercially available for transporting firearms. In the case of handguns, the majority of these consist of a sturdy briefcase or medical bag size case filled with a foam or compressible rubber type material that cushions and protects handguns contained therein. Frequently the foam or rubberized material is cut out or molded to form a handgun shaped recess.
Most of these prior art handgun transportation cases are adequate and generally suitable for carrying one or more handguns from one place to another. However, such cases do have a number of limitations. One such limitation is the number of handguns that can be carried in such a prior art case. The interior space for carrying handguns is limited by the foam or rubberized material necessary to cushion and protect the handguns, which will generally take up most of the case's interior space. Of course, this is a necessary limitation in order to protect any handguns in from being damaged. If this type of cushioning material was not in the case, handguns therein would not be secure and would be susceptible to damage.
In addition to being used for the general transportation of handguns, handgun cases for specialized purposes are also commercially available. For example, specialized cases are available to competitive target shooters. These prior art cases are constructed to carry a number of handguns by utilizing interior structures that limit the movement of the guns within the case. Most of these cases, however, only secure the handguns when the case is carried or transported in an upright position. If the case is turned on its side or upside down the guns are susceptible to falling out of their racks. These cases also typically have sufficient space within them to accommodate a variety of the other accouterments used by a competitive handgun shooter. There will generally be sufficient space to carry ammunition, cleaning supplies, and safety equipment such as shooting glasses and hearing protection. Most such cases also have space within them for a spotting scope, which can be either mounted to the case itself or be located in a compartment within the case together with a stand for mounting it. Because handguns in these cases are generally not as secure as they would be in cases where foam or a rubberized material is used to protect the handguns, they are generally not suitable for the shipment or air transport of handguns. Most competitors will generally utilize a foam lined case of the first type described to transport firearms to a competitive even and ship the competition box separately with the necessary shooting gear contained therein.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a handgun transportation case that can securely accommodate and transport a number of handguns within a limited space and that provides a user convenient access to any handguns therein when the case is opened.